Finding a pet sitter or caregiver for a dog with IVDD
The right caregiver does not need to be a veterinary professional. They do need to understand your dog’s restrictions, follow instructions precisely and know when something has changed enough to call you or a vet.
Start with these three steps
Questions worth asking
Experience
Have you cared for a dog with paralysis, restricted mobility, spinal disease or post-operative needs?
Handling
Are you comfortable following the exact lifting and support technique shown by my veterinary or rehab team?
Medication & toileting
Can you give prescribed medication at exact times? If assisted toileting is needed, have you been properly shown what to do?
Emergencies
What would you do if my dog suddenly became weaker, cried in severe pain or could not urinate?
Choose the care setting deliberately
Care at home
Often means fewer unfamiliar stairs, slippery floors, furniture and other dogs. It can also keep your dog’s recovery setup and toileting route unchanged.
Boarding or day care
Can work, but only if the environment can genuinely follow your dog’s movement restrictions and the staff understand the care plan.
What the handover should include
We trained the sitter, not just booked one
We trained several people over time, showed them exactly how Loui needed to be handled and toileted, wrote everything down and used home cameras for reassurance. Having more than one trained person also gave us backup when somebody was unavailable.
The goal was never to turn a sitter into a vet. It was to make Loui’s everyday care calm, repeatable and safe.
Red flags
Make the handover easier
Use Aubenord’s caregiver handover pack to keep medication, toileting, handling, emergency contacts and routine in one place.